Our Wines

Was originally a commercial orchard producing stone fruit, apples and pears for over 70 years. In 2012, 5 acres of orchard was cleared and planted with eleven Italian varieties. Some of the material for planting was sourced from the Western Australian Vine Improvement Association’s museum block and represents one of the few commercial plantings of these varieties.

Our wines

At present, the vineyard is very young and total harvest is approximately 10 tonnes. This has created a challenge for the talented wine making team from MyattsField Vineyards who are forced to work with small quantities of fruit. We are committed to producing stand alone wines for each variety and have resisted the temptation to blend our wine with mainstream varieties. We believe this provides our guests with the chance to experience Italian wine varieties in their purest form. Unfortunately, it also means we only have small quantities to share with you all!

Many Italian wine varieties are, by nature of their native climates, well suited to Australia’s generally warmer and drier grape growing conditions. Because of their ancestry, they are better adapted to handle heat spikes and dry weather and typically require less irrigation. Italian wines are best consumed with food and it is with this in mind that we encourage you to experience a taste of Italy at La Fattoria Perth Hills where you can sample wines from the following selection:

Barbera 2016

Barbera vines are vigorous, reliably produce in a wide variety of soils and are highly resistant to fungal diseases. The fruit is naturally high in acid, which it retains very well, even in hot climates. The resulting wines are deep, purplish black in their youth, but tend to early browning and lightening as they age. Barbera has its home in the north of Italy in Piedmont.

Fiano 2016

Is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Campania region of southern Italy and on the island of Sicily. The small, thick-skinned berries of Fiano usually produce very little juice and, given the vines natural propensity for low yields, can make Fiano an unprofitable variety to grow. Fiano can produce an age worthy wine that has the potential to develop in the bottle for several years. We are enjoying growing Fiano but can attest to the low yields as we struggle to consistently pick sufficient grapes for production. The end result is a delicious wine but very rare in nature!

The wine making

Sangiovese 2015

Is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove" (Jove is the Roman king of gods). Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio, Campania and Sicily it is most recognisable as the main component of the blend Chianti. Young Sangiovese has fresh fruity flavors of strawberry and a little spiciness, but it readily takes on oaky, even tarry, flavors when aged in barrels. Sangiovese often has a flavor profile of sour red cherries with earthy aromas and tea leaf notes. Wines made from Sangiovese usually have medium-plus tannins and high acidity. This was the only wine produced for La Fattoria Perth Hills in 2014.

The wine making

Vermentino 2016

Is an aromatic white wine variety, originally hailing from the islands of Liguria, Corsica and Sardinia, that is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. Vermentino maintains low natural sugar levels and excellent natural acidity even in the warmer weather of the Perth Hills. Our Vermentino is very cooperative in the vineyard and produces large bunches of sweetly flavoured grapes. Vermentino grapes were also used to create our sparkling white La Bella Margherita.

The wine making

La Fatt. Granny Cider 2016

Is a sparkling cider made from our very own Granny Smith apples grown on our property. This cider is produced in the methode champagnois style with the cider aged on lees before riddling and disgorging takes place.

Biancone 2017

Is a light-skinned grape variety grown in the Marche region of eastern central Italy and the islands of Corsica and Elba. Biancone produces large bunches and its excellent production has led to one of its names being Pagadebiti, literally ‘payer of debts’. Biancone produces relatively bright, fruit-driven wines in Australia and is particularly favoured as an ingredient in sweet wines. Often thought to be a synonym of Trebbiano and for the obscure Italian white variety Mostosa, in Australia there are reports of it going by the name White Grenache. However, it has no known direct genetic link with the real Grenache Blanc.

Sparkling Brachetto 2016

Brachetto is a red Italian wine grape variety grown predominantly in the Piedmont region. Brachetto tends to produce light-bodied, highly aromatic wines with distinctive notes of strawberries. In some areas, the grape is used to produce a sparkling wine and it is for this purpose that we planted Brachetto. In 2015, we didn't have enough of this variety to produce a stand alone sparkling so we blended it with Vermentino, however, the 2016 vintage is ageing nicely and has been a real show stopper since its release in September 2017.

Nebbiolo 2015

Is a red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the DOCG wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara and Ghemme. Nebbiolo produces lightly-colored red wines which can be highly tannic in youth with scents of tar and roses. Nebbiolo wines can require years of aging to balance the tannins with other characteristics. Nebbilo can also be a bit temperamental in the vineyard and we are finding our “Neb” to be an inconsistent cropper.

Sparkling Pignoletto 2016

Pronounced peen-yo-let-o. Pignoletto is an ancient white wine grape, recently discovered to be the same variety as Grechetto. It is a very adaptable, rather rustic grape that can produce good wines in the hills of Emilia-Romagna. The name probably comes from the Italian word pignaor meaning pinecone because of the compact pinecone shape of its bunches. Pignoletto can show wonderful white floral aromas, ripe apple-y fruit, and crisp acidity. This acidity makes it perfect for sparkling wines.

Yet to be released

Not all our varieties were capable of producing commercial quantities for a 2017 release. We are doing all that we can to encourage them to grow and some have produced sufficient fruit to enable a 2018 release but the rest will simply require patience. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Primitivo (coming soon)

Also known as Zinfandel is a variety of black-skinned wine grape traditionally grown in Apulia (the "heel" of Italy), where it was introduced in the 18th century. DNA fingerprinting has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag, as well as to the Zinfandel variety that found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century. Primitivo vines are quite vigorous and grow best in climates that are warm but not too hot, because grapes may shrivel in hot weather. The grapes are known for their uneven pattern of ripening: a single bunch may contain both raisin-like, over-ripe grapes and green, unripened grapes. We are finding our Primitivo to be as diva-like as our Nebbiolo and as soon as we work out how to hang umbrellas over each bunch to prevent the harsh Perth sun from ravaging them, we’ll bring something unique to you!

Sagrantino (Released 2018)

Is a red wine variety indigenous to the region of Umbria in Central Italy. It is grown primarily in the village of Montefalco and its surrounding areas. The grape has one of the highest tannic levels of any variety in the world, and creates wines that are inky purple with an almost-black center. The bouquet is one of dark, brooding red fruits with hints of plum, cinnamon, and earth. Sagrantino was used primarily for dessert wines for many years, the grape being dried in the passito style. Beginning in 1976, however, the wines were made in a dry style, and that is how they are primarily produced today. We fell in love with Sagrantino when we visited Umbria on a family holiday and decided that we just had to add this to our growing collection of Italian varietals. We will be releasing a very limited edition of our 2016 Sagrantino in late 2017.